We are fundraising in the wake of a life-threatening car accident where we hit an elk and totaled our rental car in a zero-visibility blizzard. We were sent out into the blizzard at night at the wishes of a straight white couple who deputized a white land trust manager to kick us out of our communal cabin, the three of them deciding that “property” meant more than the lives of seven queer Black people and a white trans person.

We are ninx/fen, Suldano, Madeleine, and xiili/row. We were traveling in New Mexico to take part in a performance on Black ancestral care, in which we were buried together in the ground, unburied, and ritually washed by Nikesha Breeze and Tigre Bailando at Form & Concept gallery in Santa Fe. We never knew this ritual was actually a rehearsal for our near-death encounter later that week with the elk. We had practiced death beside each other and fell in love in the process. This ritual performance empowered us to choose life when the time came, and to receive care after the crash from our other four beloveds, Isra, Lolo, Alé, and Kristyn.

The eight of us had been staying at Valley View Hot Springs in southern Colorado when we were abruptly kicked out into a blizzard. As we drove through the mountains in the dark, not sure where we would rest our heads that night, we held hands and soothed each other after the violence of the encounter at Valley View. As the blizzard grew worse, we slowed down significantly but still could barely see 10 feet in front of us on winding mountain roads with no guard rails. By the time we saw the line of elk the size of horses across the road in front of us, it was too late. There was nowhere else to go but through them. The elk was sliced in half and flew off the side of the road. Our airbags deployed and we were all thrust forward, witnessing what we thought could be each others deaths. The front right side of the car was totally crushed beyond repair, but somehow continued to play serpentwithfeet’s song, “fellowship” — a song about being grateful for the love of your friends — even after it had been towed. After hours on the still-blizzarding road in a good Samaritan’s car (Robin you saved us!), we arrived at the emergency hotel and into our loved ones arms. We have never felt more traumatized and more loved. We are in awe of this life changing love, as our friends unburied us and held us through the night. We hope to continue in these love-ships and make lives, families, and art together.

All four of us miraculously walked away from the scene with no serious injuries (our driver sliced the elk in half). However, our insurance is not going to cover the damage to the vehicle, which is estimated to be $20,000 since it is a totaled 2019 Mitsubishi SUV. We are experiencing physical injuries as well as psycho-somatic responses to the event. We need help with the cost of ER visits, hotel reservations and flights to and from Colorado, as well as group therapy/healing.

We want to focus fully on healing with each other, which is not possible with these looming bills. We hope that your support will contribute to us being able to repair our bodies and our hearts as we build our new lives together. Our love is only going to bloom more, and we promise that there will be a *lot* of art coming out of this experience once we can pay off this rental car and be together again. You will be contributing to the aftercare of our collective rebirth. I hope you can feel our love through this writing, and know that whatever we make with this will be woven with your energetic offering as well.

We appreciate ALL donations, and for those in higher tiers, will provide you the following gift:

$100 - print of fashion editorial image from trip’s lookbook

$150 - two printed fashion editorial images from trip’s lookbook

$200 - print of a still from performance piece by Madeleine Le Cesne as well as two fashion editorial images

$300 - access to video of performance piece as well as all gifts from prior tiers 

$500 - printed lookbook from New Mexico trip plus all gifts from prior tiers